Vanessa Bryant Releases Statement On Tragic Deaths Of Kobe And Gianna Bryant

Her strength is immeasurable.

Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram on Wednesday to break her silence on the tragic deaths of her husband Kobe Bryant, 41, and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant.

Read her heartbreaking first statement on the tragedy (below):

“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.

There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.
I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.

Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.

To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org.
To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org.

Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family”

As we know, seven other people were confirmed dead in the horrific helicopter accident that took place the morning of January 26 in Calabasas, CA. Baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester; coach Christina Mauser; and pilot Ara Zobayan lives were also cut short on that fateful day.

While the investigation into the crash is still ongoing, several sources have come forward saying the accident “was totally avoidable.” As you’d likely imagine, if this is true, most fans and those affected will be gutted by the confirmation. Robert Ditchey, a veteran airplane pilot, aeronautical engineer, and former airline executive told USA Today:

“And on the part of some people I can go as far as to say irresponsible. Here’s one of the most important people in the world who comes to a tragic end like this and you say, ‘Why? What the hell happened?’ “

Devastating.

Zobayan was the chief pilot for the aircraft’s owner, Island Express Helicopters, with more than 10 years of experience and 8,000+ flight hours logged. With that said, answers as to why this happened will be sought ten fold.

Experts say weather could have been a factor, as it was exceptionally foggy the day the crash occurred. According to officials who spoke to CNN, there was “extremely low visibility” in the area. A local police spokesperson further told the outlet that weather conditions in the Calabasas area at the time “did not meet the minimum standards for flying.”

We can’t imagine what all of those involved are feeling right now, but we can send love and light. Continuing to pray for everyone.

[Image via Instagram/Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]